A.N.- I'm on winter break for 2 weeks now so I'll definitely be uploading more chapters. This story is so close to having 100 followers! If you aren't following, be sure to do so. Please review and enjoy!
Song: Runaground - Eyes Open (cover)
What qualifies as winter in Louisiana was nearing its end as March started. Like the faux-winter season, Hayley's pregnancy would soon be over.
Klaus turned one of the numerous spare rooms into a charming little nursery for the baby; Belle was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of Klaus becoming a father. It was a fantasy she had always had - a fantasy that could never become a reality.
Though she had come to terms with that long ago, an ember of jealousy flickered in the back of her mind as she sat on the couch across from Hayley as they discussed names for the miracle baby. A book entitled "1,000 Nordic Baby Names" was propped on top of Hayley's round stomach. Having no luck in the baby-naming department so far, Hayley decided give some "different" names a try.
"Annika?" Hayley scoffed as she eyed the book. They were halfway through the book and so far nothing sounded remotely appealing. "Ngaio? Is that even a girl's name? Or even an actual name for that matter?" Her eyes flickered up to Belle's.
A giggle slipped though her lips. "It's unisex, I believe."
Hayley shrugged before looking back at the book. "Kysa?" Her nose wrinkled in disgust.
Belle smirked. "Hmm, I'm pretty sure I used to date a man named Kysa. Well, not really date..." She trailed off, her smirk widening. For a moment Hayley looked puzzled, as if she was trying to figure out whether Belle was being sarcastic or serious. Honestly, Belle wasn't entirely sure herself.
Hayley rolled her eyes. "So that's a big no." She let out an exasperated sigh before closing the book. "God, I'm done with these names." She tossed the book onto the coffee table. "What am I going to do?" she asked, glaring hopelessly at the ceiling.
"Well, if I were you I'd wait until the baby's born. Once you see her for the first time you'll know." Belle couldn't help but smile.
Hayley looked into her eyes with a hint sympathy. "That might work." She shrugged.
Elijah cleared his throat, standing in the doorframe with as much poise and composure as ever; Belle saw Hayley flush ever-so-slightly. They turned to face him. "Belle, there's someone here to see you." Both his expression and voice were unreadable.
Her immediate thought was Max. She sprung from her seat and followed Elijah to one of the sitting rooms. Whoever it was Elijah was apparently comfortable enough to let them in their home, or maybe it was just his impeccable manners. It took everything in her not to sprint ahead of him.
To her surprise, the mystery visitor wasn't Max. In fact, it was someone she, up until that moment, thought was dead. At first she didn't recognize her. The girl's ebony hair was cropped short in a boyish pixie-cut and she wore skinny jeans and a leather jacket. But, as soon as she met her all-too-familiar chestnut eyes, Belle immediately realized who it was. "Audrey?" Her fragile voice was just above a whisper.
"Belle." Her expression showed uncertainty, relief, and a glimmer of something that looked like anger. Of course she was angry - the last time they had seen each other hadn't ended well by any means. A ghost of a smile played at her lips.
Unaware of what she was doing, Belle ran to her as fast as she could and hugged her tightly. She fought back the tears that threatened to spill over. Audrey hugged her back stiffly. Belle pulled away after a few awkward seconds, lightly holding onto Audrey's arms as she looked her over. "I'm sorry, I'm just... How?" She stumbled over her words like a clumsy person over their two left feet. Shock couldn't even begin to describe how she felt. But above all, she was happy. Ecstatic, actually.
"Well," Audrey began, pulling away from Belle's grasp on her forearms. "I'd rather not dwell on the details, but Charlotte pretty much fed us her blood and...left us."
"For me?" The words poured out of Belle's mouth before she had a chance to think of an appropriate reply. She couldn't help it. Her impulsive nature paid no attention to common sense, like not bringing up the worst experience of her immortal life. But the guilt in her voice was clear.
Audrey chewed the inside of her cheek nervously as she, unlike her sister, contemplated how to respond. After a few seconds she nodded. "Charlotte was pretty messed up, I guess." Her eyes uncomfortably roamed the room before falling back on Belle's.
Her mind reeled, playing Audrey's words again in her head. "Before, when you said 'us', who did you mean?" She was terrified of what her response would be. Who else had Charlotte turned?
"I meant myself, Colton, Sabrina, and our father and mother."
Belle's eyes widened. "What are you doing here? Did she send you?" Her voice was now hostile, guarded. Nearly a millennium of being around Klaus, the most distrustful man on the planet, had taught her a few things, mainly to be careful who she trusted.
"No." Audrey quickly shook her head. "She actually has no idea I came here. I need to talk to you." The seriousness in her voice was the only confirmation Belle needed to realize that, like when they were children, their mother was still a heartless tyrant - to use the Mikaelson family moto, always and forever.
Belle nodded before taking a seat in one of the tan armless chairs nearby, motioning for Audrey to sit next to her. She noticed that Elijah was long gone - whether it was out of awkwardness or respect she didn't know. Cautiously, she walked over and took the seat, moving to the edge of the chair away from her elder sister. Belle frowned at her reluctance and, dare she say, fear. She knew the fear was just, which filled her with even more guilt.
After taking a deep breath, Audrey launched into the story Belle had unknowingly been wanting to hear for hundreds of years. "After everything happened, the change, mother was furious. She talked relentlessly about all the ways she wanted you to suffer. Not to mention how angry she was that Max was with you, not that he knew we were even alive." At the mention of Max's name, Belle immediately wondered if she knew anything about his whereabouts.
"Is Max staying with you?" Belle couldn't mask the hope in her eyes or on her face. She missed her brother.
She nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Mother found him a few months ago, after your fight." Belle knew how happy Audrey must have been to be reunited with her twin. They had always been close - they all had. "He misses you, even though he's angry." she assured her. They were both smiling now, but their happiness was short-lived. Audrey's phone dinged from her jacket pocket.
"Crazy bitch?" She cleared her throat. "I mean, Claudia." She refused to call that monster a mother.
Audrey smirked, shaking her head. "Yeah. I should go. I'll explain the rest another time." She stood and started to leave.
"Hey," Belle stood and cautiously approached her. "I'll see you out." They walked in silence toward the exit.
When they were walking down the hallway they ran Klaus who, needless to say, was clearly unhappy with a stranger being in his house. He scowled. "Belle, who's this?"
"My sister, Audrey."
Klaus's eyebrows rose as he eyed the five-foot-something girl who vaguely resembled Belle, no doubt wondering what the hell was going on. "It's a long story. I'll tell you in a minute." Before he could respond she quickly walked past him, eager to avoid his inevitable slew of questions. Audrey cautiously followed after her, no doubt intimidated by Klaus's unwavering gaze.
Once they reached the street, Belle resisted the urge to hug her sister, again, in fear of making her uncomfortable. She didn't doubt that it was hard for Audrey to even be around her, let alone be affectionate toward her. They exchanged goodbyes and heartfelt waves before parting ways, not knowing when one would see the other again.
She didn't want her to leave because she loved her, but it was also because she loved her that she knew she couldn't force her to stay. Things weren't so simple. She knew it would take time which, thankfully, was something she had loads of.
As she headed inside the idea of her angry mother being not only alive and kicking, but angry and within driving distance, made her more than uneasy. She felt like she was going to either cry or pass out, maybe both.
She needed a plan of action, and she needed it fast. Rule number two of the Klaus Mikaelson handbook, after being careful about who you trust, is to always be a step ahead of your enemy.